When Jin stated he had conditions for accepting the golem commission, the Princess nodded firmly.
"Of course. Is it a matter of payment? Or perhaps the labor involved? I shall petition my father, the King, regarding this work rather than handling it myself. Speak your mind."
"No, it isn't anything major. If you can promise that our freedom will not be restricted, that will be enough."
"That goes without saying," the Princess promised upon her honor. Jessica and Gloria followed suit.
"If you were to turn against us, I feel as though our kingdom would meet its end," the Princess joked with a laugh. However, no one present—not even Elsa—realized that her words were anything but an exaggeration. None of them truly grasped the terrifying extent of Hourai Island’s actual power.
"In that case, I apologize for the trouble, but would you mind returning to the Royal Castle with me once more?"
"I suppose it can't be helped."
Considering the various circumstances, returning to Kaina Village immediately didn't seem like a viable option. If anyone asked where he intended to go, he would be at a loss for an answer.
If he informed Laojun, the news would surely be relayed to Kaina Village through some reliable means.
"Elsa, Hanna, it looks like our return will be delayed by a day or two. Is that alright?"
Jin asked the two with an apologetic expression. However, both Elsa and Hanna smiled and gave their consent.
"If it's what Jin-nii decided, then it's fine."
"Are we going to the Princess's place again? That's okay!"
Hearing that, Jin felt a sense of relief.
"Then please, get back into the carriage....Gloria, I apologize, but stay here and watch over the bandits. I will send men for them immediately."
"Understood."
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin and the others climbed back into the carriage and made a quick return to the Detached Palace they had just departed.
They were shown to a guest room and served tea, where they waited for about thirty minutes.
During that time, Jin used Reiko to instruct Laojun to explain the situation to Kaina Village. Laojun would likely use Laozi or a Butler to send word to the village.
Once that was settled, Elsa asked a question.
"Jin-nii, I have something I want to ask, too. That black golem that saved Hanna earlier... what was that?"
"Yeah, yeah! Onii-chan, I want to know too!"
Jin had expected to be asked eventually, so he gave a brief explanation.
"It's a guardian golem that stays by our side at all times, though it usually keeps itself hidden."
"Huh! Is that so? Thanks, Onii-chan!"
Hanna seemed satisfied with the explanation, but Elsa was more curious about the mechanics.
"Can it turn invisible?"
"Yes. Reiko uses it too, right? It's an advanced form of the Hide spell."
"I see....I understand."
Just as Jin was about to say something more, Reiko tugged on his sleeve.
"Reiko?"
"Father, there is trouble in Kaina Village. I have just received word that a conscription order has arrived."
"What!?"
Jin remembered—it was around April 21st, he believed—when he had heard through Laojun that the Klein Kingdom had declared a state of emergency and ordered lords with territory to organize their armies. The order was only reaching the village now.
The only saving grace was that the war was already over.
"Onii-chan...?"
Hanna looked worried after hearing that something was wrong. Elsa shared the same expression.
Jin explained the situation to the two of them. He told them that because the war was already over, there would be no danger even if people were conscripted. Furthermore, they would likely be released soon.
Hanna's face relaxed into a look of relief upon hearing that.
"Still, I might be able to make better use of the fact that I'm here..."
Just as Jin began to ponder the possibilities, the door opened and Princess Lieschen entered.
"Jin, be glad! My father says he will meet with you now!"
"Eh?"
He hesitated for a moment, but then realized that meeting the King directly would be the fastest way to make various demands. Jin stood up.
"Ah, and as for your sisters, I apologize, but I would like them to wait here....I guarantee their safety. No harm shall come to them."
Though Jin hadn't said a word, the Princess spoke as if she had read his mind, patting him on the back. She was implying that she had no intention of using them as hostages to threaten him.
"I will not do anything that would make an enemy of you. I swear it on my pride."
And so, taking only Reiko with him, Jin headed from the Detached Palace toward the Royal Palace. Jessica followed them. Gloria, who had just returned, remained behind to look after Hanna and Elsa.
They walked through a roofed, corridor-like passage, and after about five minutes, they were within the grounds of the Royal Palace. After another five minutes, Jin arrived before a grand set of doors.
"This is my father's office. The chancellor is with him now."
Saying so, Princess Lieschen had Jessica open the doors and announced that she had brought Jin. A voice from inside told them to enter, and the Princess urged Jin to step into the room. Reiko stayed close to Jin's side like a shadow.
"Father, I have brought Jin-dono, the Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea."
"Hmm."
Behind a heavy wooden desk sat the King of the Klein Kingdom, Alois III. The Princess whispered to Jin, prompting him to introduce himself.
"My name is Jin Nidou. This is the automata, Reiko."
Jin bowed deeply. Reiko simply stood beside him. Since no one expected etiquette from an automata, no one commented on her silence.
"I am Alois III, King of the Klein Kingdom."
The King introduced himself. Alois III was fifty years old, standing 175 centimeters tall with a sturdy build of 75 kilograms. His dark brown hair was a similar shade to Princess Lieschen's, and his gray eyes were filled with a certain sternness.
Standing to his right was a thin, middle-aged man. To his left stood a muscular man who radiated the aura of a seasoned warrior.
"I am Powell, the chancellor. This is Glenn Dabroad, the royal ritter commander."
The chancellor gave a slight nod, while the man introduced as Glenn Dabroad merely gave a small tilt of his chin. Jin was not the type to dwell on such trifles; in truth, he didn't give the ritter commander a second thought.
A moment of silence followed. Just as the Princess, caught in the middle, was about to speak out of impatience, Alois III finally opened his mouth.
"...To think that when I finally met you, you would already belong to the Kingdom of Egerea."
"Pardon?"
"First, I must apologize. Though it was a misunderstanding, I apologize for the events that resulted in your expulsion from Kaina Village."
With those words, Alois III gave a definite, albeit slight, bow of his head. The chancellor and the royal ritter commander were visibly flustered. The King of a nation had just apologized and bowed to a commoner—even if he was an Honorary Magi Craftman.
"You created the pumps, developed the stoves, and repelled the golem that interfered with the tax collection... Is that not so?"
"...Yes."
Jin had no choice but to nod. Since his work on the pumps was known not only to Lishia but also to Gloria, there was no point in trying to hide it.
"As I thought. I had heard of you from Lishia Fahlheit. I wished to welcome you as a royal magi craftman, but due to an unfortunate misunderstanding—no, due to our own bungling—we caused you a great deal of trouble."
He was likely referring to how Earl Walter had come to take Jin away as if he were a criminal.
"As a result, you went to the Kingdom of Egerea. I have heard rumors on the wind; there was an incident involving a golem riot, was there not? I heard that a magi craftman and his golem played a major role then."
At that point, Princess Lieschen added a supplement.
"Father, I heard it from Jin's own mouth. The one who performed so brilliantly then was the automata there, Reiko."
"Ho, indeed. She has the appearance of a lovely young girl, but she hides immense power within, it seems."
The King gazed at Reiko with an impressed look. Even under his scrutiny, Reiko remained composed.
"You have my thanks, Reiko. I heard from Lies. It seems you neutralized fifty bandits and a golem that were about to attack this city."
When addressed, Reiko spoke for the first time.
"I only followed my father's orders."
"Indeed, I am grateful to Jin for that as well."
Then, the King finally got to the heart of the matter.
"Jin-dono, I would like you to use your skills to create high-performance golems for our country. You may have already noticed, but we are suffering from a shortage of labor and personnel. While the conflict with our neighbor, the Kingdom of Franz, finally ended the other day, the lack of manpower is undeniable."
He then glanced at the chancellor. The chancellor gave a slight nod and looked down at the notes in his hand.
"According to reports, 100 tons of steel, 100 tons of bronze, 25 tons of light silver, and small amounts of adamantite and mithril have been provided by certain quarters and are currently being transported here from Tetrada. They should arrive tomorrow or the day after."
He then looked at Jin.
"In other words, using materials equivalent to that will not affect the national stockpile."
He concluded. However, Jin knew that this wasn't entirely accurate. After all, a portion of the materials being transported was actually the metal from the armaments of the Klein Kingdom's own soldiers.
The King then took over the conversation once more.
"Therefore, Jin, what I wish to ask of you is the production of 100 steel swords and 20 universal-type golems capable of withstanding combat."